Deportation of undocumented immigrants who have finalorders of removal will be paused by the Biden administration, according to thememo issued by acting leader of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Signed by acting DHS head, David Pekoske on Wednesday wason the lines of Biden's key promise. During his campaigns Biden had assured topause deportations. 100 day deportation pause comes for all non-citizens exceptfor those who are suspected to be part of any act of terrorism and those whoare not in US since November 1, 2020.
It also excludes those who voluntary wish to exit US andthose individuals who the acting director of ICE determines to deport. It hasbeen seen as a monumental shift in the immigration policy.
According to agency statistics, in the 2020 fiscal year,from Oct 2019 to September 30, 2020, over 1,85,000 people were deported by ICE.Acting DHS head, Pekoske asked acting ICE director, Tae Johson to “issuewritten instructions with additional operational guidance on the further implementationof this removal pause.”
According to a report published in the BuzzFeed News, theBiden administration is expected to issue new priorities to ICE officers toshrink their role by focusing only on the arrests of those who are securitythreats, arrested at the border after Nov 1, 2020 and public safety threatindividuals. It will go into effect from February 1, 2021.
Biden had officially cancelled a memo issued by Trumpthat prioritizes the deportation of every individual who is an undocumentedimmigrant. It is seen as an attempt at overhauling the DHS and its components,including ICE.